having tripets

Neil Grant · Mar 21, 2020

...what are my choices for a 6x6 TLR with a triplet lens? Not sure I really want something as old as a Rolleicord 1 with an uncoated Triotar. Are these cameras still useable? Are the lenses so old they have now become naturally 'bloomed'? Please, no suggestions for Tessars or Xenars, I'm interested in the unique rendering of a 3 element lens.
Thanks!

AgX · Mar 21, 2020

There are several.
Weltaflex, Seagull, some Flexarets... just to start the discussion.

Dan Daniel · Mar 21, 2020

Yashica D and Yashica 635- the Yashikor lens is a triplet (a few late D's have the Tessar-type Yashinon so look carefully). Coated.

There are Zeiss Ikoflexes with Novar lenses, yes? The Novar is a triplet. Look for the red mark for coating (it it a red star or a 'T'?)

Dali · Mar 21, 2020

Most of the Ricohflex have triplets and of course the Lubitel does.

Ray Morgenweck · Mar 21, 2020

I will heartily recommend the Ansco Automatic Reflex. This uses an 83mm Cooke Triplet made by Wollensak. A Beautiful well engineered camera on all respects. And, American Made!! I made the decision to buy and use one after reading Mike Eckman’s extensive write up on the camera. The images he posted from the camera show just how magnificent this Cooke Triplet really is. The AAR is an awesome camera in all respects!!! https://www.mikeeckman.com/2018/09/ansco-automatic-reflex-3-5-1947/. The Name, ANSCO, takes us back to Edward Anthony who started making gear in 1842.

Dan Fromm · Mar 21, 2020

Ray Morgenweck said:
I will heartily recommend the Ansco Automatic Reflex. This uses an 83mm Cooke Triplet made by Wollensak. A Beautiful well engineered camera on all respects.

Have you used it? I ask because mine is flaky as can be. Wind mechanism problems.

OP, Lubitel, Lubitel and Lubitel. But beware of shutters made of, um, chocolate.

Dan0001 · Mar 21, 2020

CiroFlex or Graflex 22 with Wollensak lens(same as the Ansco). Can be had fairly cheap. Wide open they are very soft but at f/8 and above very sharp. US made also.

Rick A · Mar 21, 2020

Dan Daniel said:
Yashica D and Yashica 635- the Yashikor lens is a triplet (a few late D's have the Tessar-type Yashinon so look carefully). Coated."

Nearly all the early Yashica TLR's used the triplet, Late 50's saw the crossover to the Lumaxar Tessar type, then the Yashinon lens. The A, B, C, and D models plus early Yashicamat's(self cocking) used the triplets. The Yashica E was the only knob wind that never used the Yashikor.

macfred · Mar 21, 2020

Rolleicord IIc with Zeiss Triotar is a nice one !

AgX · Mar 21, 2020

Maybe we should do another approach and just list those TLR's that hat not plain triplets...

Donald Qualls · Mar 22, 2020

Original Kodak Reflex was, IIRC, a triplet called Anastar, but the Reflex II had the amazing 4-element non-Tessar Anastar. No, I don't know why both the triplet and 4-element all airspaced lenses for these were called Anastar -- the older one was of the type commonly call Anastigmat, but the II was, as far as I know, a unique formula.

JPD · Mar 22, 2020

Neil Grant said:
...what are my choices for a 6x6 TLR with a triplet lens? Not sure I really want something as old as a Rolleicord 1 with an uncoated Triotar. Are these cameras still useable? Are the lenses so old they have now become naturally 'bloomed'?

I have several pre-war Rolleicords and they work just fine. As always with old cameras, check the mirror and shutter speeds before you buy (or ask the seller). A couple of my Rolleicords have nice "bloomed" Triotars. There is also the early Rolleicord III with coated Triotar.

Yashica TLR's with Yashikor are also nice. They are softer fully open than the Zeiss Triotar, but it's a nice soft focus softness. Then there is the East German Reflekta that can be found with the Meyer Trioplan, another good triplet.

macfred said:
Rolleicord IIc with Zeiss Triotar is a nice one !

There is no Rolleicord IIc. The 'c' was probably invented by an author of a collector's book. It could be the third type of the Rolleicord II. It has the bayonet on the taking lens only, so the type 4 would be better if the two-piece Rolleinar close-up lenses would be used.

removed account4 · Mar 22, 2020

I have had 2 rolleicord I3a's and they were absolutely beautiful. if you don't use a flash definitely worth the $$.

JPD · Mar 22, 2020

jnantz said:
I have had 2 rolleicord I3a's and they were absolutely beautiful. if you don't use a flash definitely worth the $$.

Do you mean Ia, type 3 with a 4,5 Triotar? Really good cameras. I like that the aperture goes down to 32.

removed account4 · Mar 22, 2020

JPD said:
Do you mean Ia, type 3 with a 4,5 Triotar? Really good cameras. I like that the aperture goes down to 32.

that's it, I am terrible at remembering the order or things, you can tell im a rollei NOOB

laser · Mar 22, 2020

Neil Grant said:
I'm interested in the unique rendering of a 3 element lens.

What are the unique rendering characteristics of a 3-element lens?

baachitraka · Mar 23, 2020

laser said:
What are the unique rendering characteristics of a 3-element lens?

The triotar in my Rolleicord shows nice swirl bokeh at wide-open or @f/5.6 but the contrast could be little low. For portraits its really nice...

macfred · Mar 23, 2020

JPD said:
There is no Rolleicord IIc. The 'c' was probably invented by an author of a collector's book. It could be the third type of the Rolleicord II. It has the bayonet on the taking lens only, so the type 4 would be better if the two-piece Rolleinar close-up lenses would be used.

Thank you, for your explanations - I got that designation from https://www.rolleiclub.com/thedarkroom/?p=3182 and http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Rolleicord_IIc - Rolleicord IIc / Mod. or Type 4

Dan Daniel · Mar 23, 2020

laser said:
What are the unique rendering characteristics of a 3-element lens?

Some examples of the yashikor swirl-
https://picturenoise.blogspot.com/2011/08/yashica-635.html
Subtle in these shots. Sometimes it just screams and makes the background look like it's from a Hitchcock film. Portraits can use this- a sharp face in the center, and a circulr out of focus pattern behind.

Neil Grant · Mar 23, 2020

..thanks for all the replies and photos. Looks like a Yashica may be the best combination of 'triplet character' and availability. 'RM' - I like your Ansco, but these are rare and working ones rarer still.

AgX · Mar 23, 2020

laser said:
What are the unique rendering characteristics of a 3-element lens?

I first think of the Trioplan bokeh. There also seems a typical center/corner sharpness gradient.

But maybe there are more variations between Cooke triplets designs than I thought.

mmerig · Mar 23, 2020

I have a Victaflex, which I think is the same as a Richoflex ModeI VI. The lens is a Ricoh Astastigmat 80 mm f3.5 The corners are vignetted, even at small apertures. It was a hand-me-down from 45 years ago. Fun to use.

NB23 · Mar 23, 2020

Ikoflex with novar lenses.

Novar T = coated
Novar without T designstion = uncoated.

I’m really impressed by my Ikoflex novar T.

BobD · Mar 23, 2020

Ciroflex and Graflex 22 and Argoflex E are triplets, I believe, and are cheap.

JPD · Mar 23, 2020

macfred said:
Thank you, for your explanations - I got that designation from https://www.rolleiclub.com/thedarkroom/?p=3182 and http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Rolleicord_IIc - Rolleicord IIc / Mod. or Type 4

The information on the Rolleiclub site has caused some confusion. The official names for the Rolleicords are I, Ia, II, III, IV, V, Va and Vb. Some of the models were improved during the production run, so these variations have been given extra designations to differientiate between them. I think it's better to say "Rolleicord II, type/model 4" than "IIc" so it doesn't seem like a name given by Franke & Heidecke. The collector that came up with the "c" must have forgotten one of the types in-between, which adds to the confusion.

The Rolleicord II, type 4, was my first Rolleicord. It's still in mint condition despite having been made in 1939. I have owned it for 30 years and it still works perfectly.

Rolleicord II, type 4, from 1939. 3,5/75 Zeiss Triotar @ f:4 Agfa APX 100 in Rodinal. Light-green filter. Paper: Emax K883. Notice the slight swirl at this aperture.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/19332145@N00/4682846489/

having tripets

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